More than most coaching setups in the league, head coach Steve Nicol and Mariner govern as a team of equals, conferring with each other in a well-established partnership.

Yet while Nicol has won acclaim and praise for his work in keeping the squad near the top of the league table and contending for the championship every season, all Mariner has picked up is an ever-growing list of silvers in the race to win a head coaching position.

At this point, there’s no denying Mariner’s attributes. He’s clearly done everything he can to put himself in a position to become a Head Coach. And he would be a solid hire for any MLS franchise. So, why then hasn’t an MLS team pulled the trigger on Mariner, who has clearly made himself available for hire? I have a theory.

If Mariner has as much input into the Revs’ operation as Canales suggests then he shares a portion of the responsibility for the three MLS Cup losses. He’s part of the team that’s failed to come up with a way to push the franchise over the top. Is it so tough to believe that an owner would look at the way the Revs have been run over the last few seasons (open roster spots, unused allocation, lack of impact signings) and conclude that the team has been successful in spite of themselves?

Could Paul Mariner’s managerial career be a casualty of the Revs’ seemingly pending slip back into mediocrity?